Joseph l



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH L. HOUSE, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOPETER B. CHRISTIAN, OF SAME PLACE.

LOBRICATOR FOR VEHICLE-AXLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 463,682, dated November24, 1891;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH L. HOUSE, of Minneapolis, in the county ofHennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain Improvements inLubricators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates particularly to improvements in lubricatorsdesigned for use with the axles of wheeled vehicles; but the inventionis also applicable generally to shafts, axles, or journal-bearings, andmay be applied to machinery of any kind.

The invention consists in the construction and combination hereinafterdescribed, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of a portion of acarriage-axle having my device applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a transversesection of the same on line m a: of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on line1 y of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is aside elevation of the axle with the woodenportion thereof in section and with the oilreceptacle partly brokenaway. Fig. 5 is a top viewvof the axle, showing the oil-receptaclearranged at one side thereof. Fig. 6 is a detail view showing a separateoil-receptacle for each end of the axle. Fig. 7 is a transverse sectionshowing the manner of applying the invention to a thimble-skein axle.

In the drawings, 2 represents a carriageaxle, which may be of anyusualor ordinary construction. It may be a metal axle, as shown in Figs.1 to 6, or a wooden axle having a thimble-skein thereon, as shown inFig. 7. Formed, preferably, in the upper surface of the axle is a groove3, extending longitudinally thereof. lVhere the axle is provided withcollars, as shown in the drawings, a hole 5, preferably threaded, is runfrom the inner end of the groove through the axle, so as to pass belowthe collar, as shown in Fig. 1. A

wick or piece of similar material 7 is secured in the groove 3 by screws9 or other suitable devices. This wick also passes through the threadedhole 5. An oil-receptacle 11 is arranged, preferably, at the center ofthe axle, and is provided with tubes 13, that extend from its oppositeends to the end of the opening 5, to which it is connected,preferably,by

Application filed February 28, 1891. Serial No. 383,162. (No model.)

being screwed into a threaded opening formed in the inner side of thecollar of the axle. The end of the wick 7 preferably extends into thepipe 13, and this pipe is also preferably provided with a screw-plug 15,by means of which the flow of oil through the pipe may be regulated. Theoil-receptacle 11 may be arranged at one side of the axle, as shown inFig. 5; or the: wooden portion 17 of the axle may be hollowed out on theunder side and the oil-receptacle located therein, as shown in Fig. 4E.The pipes 13 in this instance will run from the oil-receptacle 11through a groove in the under surface of the wooden part of the axle, asshown in Figs. 3 and 4. In either instance the oil-receptaclebeingsupplied with oil, the plugs 15 are turned so as to permit the oilto feed out in the desired quantity, and the oil passing into contactwith the wick 7 is carried out by capillary attraction through thegroove in the axle, and the upper surface of this wick being exposed theoil will be fed regularly to the moving surface above.

In Fig. 6 I have shown an oil-receptacle arranged on the axle justinside of the collar,

being preferably screwed into the top of the axle. The oil-pipe 13 isconnected to this receptacle and conducts the oil to the wick in thegrooved'surface of the axle in the manner already described.

In Fig. 7 I have shown a wooden axle 2, having a metal skein 21, andthis skein is preferably cast with an offset portion 23 upon its innersurface, and the groove 3 is formed in this offset portion, so that theaxleskein is not weakened by forming the groove. This groove may beundercut or Wider at the bottom than at the top, so that the wick beingcrowded into it will be held by, the walls of the groove.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination, with the axle provided witha longitudinal groove in its upper surface, of awick arranged in saidgroove, an oilreceptacle arranged upon said axle, and a pipe 13,extending from said oil-receptacle to the end of said groove and adaptedto conduct oil to said wick, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with an axle having a longitudinal groove in itsupper surface, of the threaded opening 5, connecting with said groove, awick arranged in Said groove and extending through said threadedopening, an oil-receptacle arranged upon said axle, and pipes extendingfrom said oil-receptacle and adapted to conduct oil to said wick,substan tially as described.

3. The combination, with the axle, of the oil-receptacle 11, supportedthereon, pipes 13, extending from said oil-receptacle to the oppositeends of the axle, longitudinal grooves formed in the bearing-surface ofthe axle, and Wicks arranged in said grooves and connecting with saidpipes 13, substantially as described.

at. The combination, with the axle provided with bearing-surfaces andthe collars at the inner ends of said surfaces, grooves extend- JOSEPHL. HOUSE.

In presence of- F. S. LYON, O. G. HAWLEY.

